Poldark season 5 was the show's final outing and audiences experienced years' worth of historical drama across the last eight episodes.
Summary
- Poldark season 5 packed years' worth of excitement into its final episodes, but ended abruptly without fully exploring the expanded universe seen in the books.
- The underrated historical TV show received high praise from critics and delivered all the romance, action, and intrigue that kept viewers tuning in.
- Ross becomes a spy for the government, faces a French invasion, and ultimately thwarts the invasion with the help of Demelza, but the series concludes with an uncertain ending and no news of a revival or spinoff.
Poldark season 5 was the historical drama's last outing, but it packed several years' worth of excitement into its final eight episodes. Set in England around the turn of the 19th century, the series follows Captain Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) as he returns home from fighting in the American Revolutionary War to find that his carefully planned life has fallen to shambles. Based on the novels by author Winston Graham, Poldark not only drew inspiration from the books but also filled in the gaps and fleshed out the epic story that Graham started in the 1940s.
Across its five-season run, Poldark received high praise from critics and even scored an elusive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for its epic third year. Despite its vaunted reputation and popularity, season 5 marked the end of Poldark, and its abrupt ending left many scratching their heads. Graham's novels still offered more story options, but the series ended without fully exploring the expanded universe seen in the books. Nevertheless, the underrated historical TV show pulled no punches in its final season and delivered all the romance, action, and intrigue that had kept viewers tuning in throughout its respectable run on the air.
"Episode 1" (S5 E1)
Season 4 ended on a sad note as Elizabeth (Heida Reed) passed away from childbirth complications after she delivered prematurely, and Ross' relationship with Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) was on the rocks. However, after a time jump into the first quarter of 1800, Ross and Demelza have seemingly made up and are back on stable footing. George (Jack Farthing) is anything but stable as the death of Elizabeth has sent him into a downward spiral of emotional distress. Meanwhile, out-of-work residents of the countryside begin to protest their conditions, and Demelza attempts to rectify the situation.
Ross receives word that his old commander Ned Despard (Vincent Regan) has been ousted on trumped-up charges and decides he will stop at nothing to save his friend. In his despair, George is befriended by businessman Ralph Hanson, who is one of the shady characters responsible for putting Despard in prison. The flash-forward reveals that Drake (Harry Richardson) and Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) are wedded, but they still struggle with intimacy. The episode ends on a shocking note as Ross prevents an assassination attempt on the King which prompts him to be made a spy for the government.
"Episode 2" (S5 E2)
Shows like Poldark know exactly how to increase tension, and Poldark season 5, episode 2 sees the entire party travel to London where things get more complicated. While trying to exonerate Ned Despard, Demelza distributes a pamphlet about him that draws the ire of Ross' new spy network. Ross meets with Ned's former associate Bannantine (Norman Bowman) who explains that Ned's problems are tied to the spies. Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) gives a lecture on mental illness which prompts him to be recruited to help defend the man who tried to kill the King. Lastly, Bannantine turns up dead under mysterious circumstances after meeting a shadowy hawk-wielding spy.
"Episode 3" (S5 E3)
Following their troubled time in London, the Poldark clan returns to Cornwall with Ned and his wife Kitty (Kerri McLean) in tow in hopes of keeping a low profile. However, racism rears its ugly head as Kitty is rebuffed by the so-called "polite society" because of her darker skin and marriage to Ned, a white man. A party to introduce Kitty to the people of Cornwall is derailed by the sudden arrival of Hanson who continues to vex the Despards. When a cave-in occurs at one of George's mines, Ross and Ned step up to save lives, but Ned's erratic behavior leads to the unnecessary deaths of a few miners.
"Episode 4" (S5 E4)
Leaving many of Poldark's perfect romance storylines behind for a bit, episode 4 of Poldark season 5 continues to follow the saga of Ned Despard and his ousting from Honduras. Geoffrey Charles' (Freddie Wise) newfound friendship with Cecily (Lily Dodsworth-Evans) is in danger as her father, Hanson, continues to scheme behind the scenes to bring down Ned and his new target Ross. Morwenna and Drake's relationship is further strained as she begins slipping out of the house at night. Demelza continues to work with the community to improve their conditions, but Hanson secretly plots with many of the disgruntled locals to bring down the Poldark family along with the Despards.
"Episode 5" (S5 E5)
Though London was not pleasant to them the first time, Ross and Ned return to London with the hope that the latter can finally return to Honduras. However, Hanson's influence over George leads him to make a speech in front of parliament endorsing slave labor in Honduras, which pits Ross' philosophy against George's. The sudden shift from gold to paper currency at the local bank puts Demelza in the hot seat with the workers, and Hanson takes full advantage of their anger. Geoffrey Charles and Cecily decide to marry, but they quickly run into opposition from her father and George who have other plans of their own.
"Episode 6" (S5 E6)
Though shows like Bridgerton have their anachronistic approach to storytelling, Poldark is unique in that it uses real-life history in a more realistic manner. After being arrested in the previous episode, Poldark season 5, episode 6 sees Ned desperate for Ross' help, and he turns to Dwight's expertise for help. On the eve of her wedding to George, Cecily plans to elope with Geoffrey Charles, and Drake and Morwenna finally consummate their marriage after a heart-to-heart. Ned is sentenced to be drawn, quartered, and hanged, but Dwight and Ross are able to have it commuted to a simple hanging. Ross is attacked and left for dead.
"Episode 7" (S5 E7)
Ross returns home with the sudden threat of a secret French invasion looming after a discovery within the mine. Ross travels to London to confront Hanson, but his smeared reputation leaves him little to work with following his fervent defense of Ned. Geoffrey Charles is able to free Cecily, and they run to Ross for help, with the latter vowing to help the young couple escape to America where they will be safe. The newly widowed Kitty decides to depart too, and upon meeting up with the ship, Cecily tells Geoffrey she must leave him and go along with Kitty. Meanwhile, Ross seemingly aligns himself with the French invasion force.
"Episode 8" (S5 E8)
The series finale of Poldark may have come abruptly, but it didn't skimp on any explosive action either. With the French invasion looming, Ross seemingly betrays Demelza's trust by aligning with the invaders. However, as he soon reveals to Dwight, Ross is actually a double agent who attempts to dispatch his findings to the government to thwart the invasion. However, Hanson's spies intercept the message, and he is ousted as a traitor to the French cause. Demelza arrives after learning the truth and tricks the French commander into engaging in a sword fight with Ross.
Things get messy as Hanson plans to kill Ross with a gun, but George arrives and kills the French commander and severely wounds Hanson. The French invasion is thwarted, but George and Ross remain enemies after they work together. Ross' days as a spy are not over with his defeat of the French, and right before he sails away with Dwight to embark on another adventure, it is revealed that Demelza is pregnant.
Why Poldark Ended So Abruptly After Season 5
As previously mentioned, the novel series still offered a lot more stories to tell, and yet Poldark season 5 ended the show on such an abrupt note. Like many shows, the creators wanted Poldark to go out on a high note (via Distractify) but the result was a strange non-ending that concluded season 5. As noted by Distractify, series star Aiden Turner said "It doesn’t feel like an ending" with regard to Poldark season 5, episode 8, but it has been the only closure that fans have gotten so far. The series concluded in 2019, but no news has come about a revival or spinoff series in the works.
